Der Großmann
by Lucius B. Liddy
Summary: I suppose this is as good a place to publish this story as any.


I'm writing this story on behalf of my friend Sophie, although I really don't want to.

We're both English majors at Portland State University, and about a week ago she went to Seattle to attend a writers' conference. (As a bit of context, we met a few years prior and have been close since). She called me every night to tell me how great things were at the conference and that she would have a lot to tell me when she got back. And then the phone calls stopped.

Halfway through the weeklong trip she fell off the face of the earth, no calls, phone turned off, I even called the conference officials who told me that she hadn't attended any of the events after I lost contact with her. Yet, Monday morning, as I'm waiting outside for Chem 201, she walks up to me; she has large circles under her eyes and is dressed entirely in black. I start to say something but she interrupts me: "Park Avenue Café. Let's go." I don't want to miss the class but I couldn't say no to her.

We sit in a secluded area of the restaurant where no one could hear us; she says nothing at first, just looking into her cup of coffee. I can only assume that she's about to give me the worst, so I just ask:

"What happened? Why did you stop calling me?"

She waits a moment. "I was raped."

Time stops for a moment as I take in what she said. I lean back in my chair and cover my head with my hands; I feel like I'm about to cry, but I hold it back and ask another questions.

"How did it happen? Did you go to the police?"

Again, she waits a moment, and doesn't answer. Instead she pulls out a tape recorder, places it in the middle of the table, and says:  
"I'm going to tell you what happened, and record it onto _this_ so that you don't forget anything. I want you to write it up and put it where people will read it and…" She trails off and doesn't finish the thought.

"Sophie," I respond, "I can't…"  
"You will!" She almost yells at me. "You're going to listen and do as I ask!"

I can't bring myself to say no. I nod, and she presses record. The following is a transcript of the recording.

*A pause and some shuffling*

On the first night of the conference we had a formal dinner with all of the other writers and were assigned to random tables. The table I ended up at had a really cute guy named Mark; he was very nice and we spent time together during the first part of the conference.

On the night I was, raped, we were downtown and he offered to walk me back to my hotel in Lower Queen Anne. About halfway there, he covered my mouth and then pulled me into and alleyway where there two other guys; they had also sat at my table. They grabbed at me, and though I tried to get away, they overpowered me and began to tear my clothes off, calling me a "pretty slut." I yelled "Help!" as loud as I could but they just beat my face and used some duct tape to cover my mouth. They punched me again. One of the guys… Pushed in and began raping me.

*A pause*

But it was then, when my head fell to the side, that I saw something standing in the alleyway; it was a tall, inhumanly tall thing, maybe eight feet, all dressed in black. I couldn't make out much of its enshrouded face, except that it was completely white, with black holes where its eyes and mouth should have been. From those eyes, black thin lines ran down and ended in little black pools by its nose, as if it were crying. As it was crying for me. I blink and then it disappears, and I'm brought back to the real world, where I'm being raped by these disgusting pigs.

Suddenly, it stops; the grasp of the guys has loosened and I turn around to both an astounding and terrifying sight. The tall thing that I had just seen had hosted the man who was raping me up, way up by the neck. He held him there for only a second, and then with great strength threw him straight into the ground, where he splattered onto the pavement. The other men quickly dropped me onto the ground and tried to escape, but another one of those things was standing in the alleyway – this one had the same white face, but instead of tears, he had an angry appearance - he grabbed Mark: "No! Please God, no!" The thing pulled out a knife and gutted him, his entrails fell out; I threw up at the sight, but still watched as the thing used Mark's own intestines to hang him from a nearby rafter.

The third man got on his hands and knees and begged for the mercy. The two things, as well as a third, encircled him; the sad one pulled him up, the second one gave the third the knife, and the third one cut of the man's penis and shoved it in his throat choking him. Then, like the man who raped me, the sad looking thing threw his body to the ground, crushing him. Then those things began to move in on me. I fainted.

*Very long pause*

I passed in and out of consciousness, but I do remember being carried back to through the streets by the sad looking thing. I shivered and another thing took off part of his black cloak and put it on me. Then the sad looking thing made a light cooing noise and I drifted back to sleep.

*A pause. I ask Sophie something; I can't make out what it was*

The last thing I remember is waking up in my hotel room under the covers; my clothes have been changed, my body cleaned, and my brushes have, somehow, vanished. Then I remember the things, and I look around the dark room and notice my balcony door is open. Quietly I get up and look through the glass; one of the things is standing there. I felt both scared but also thankful, like I had to let it know. I walked out onto the balcony; it noticed me immediately, and turned to face me. I didn't move much closer, but I bowed my head slightly and said 'thank you.' Then…

*A pause*

It knelt down, although it was still a little taller than me. It took my hand, held it up, bowed its head, and said something in what I later found out was German: 'Der Großmann werden dir immer helfen.' It then got up and went back to overlooking the city. I turned around to go back into my room and a little wind blew. I turned back around, and it was gone.

*I ask a question*

What did he say?

*She responds*

'The Tall Men will always help you.


End file.
